The Maker Launches launch playbook
Nothing here costs anything unless you choose an extra. The steps are what Maker Launches would do in your place.
Before launch day
Fill in every part of the page
People decide quickly. Make sure the tagline and description are clear and current, the FAQs are answered and your founder profile is complete.
Ready your logo and images
Pick screenshots that show the main thing your product does. Keep them current and readable, and add a brief demo video if you can.
Pick a week you can be there
Choose a week you can give some attention to. Replies and follow-ups on the first days make the difference.
Write your messages in advance
Prepare a short launch message you can adapt for each place. Give friends and users a heads-up about the date.
The day you go live
Share in the right places
Post in communities you already take part in, as yourself and within their rules. On Hacker News, Show HN is for something people can try right away.
Share your launch link
Share the link on the networks you use, such as X, LinkedIn and Bluesky. Pin the post and add the link to your profile bio.
Send your announcement
Tell your subscribers about the launch by email, and put the launch image and link in the email new users get when they sign up.
Respond to everyone
Keep an eye on comments all day and answer each one. Feedback you get now is useful for the next update.
Votes come from people, one each. They can never be bought, so never use extra accounts or vote swaps to add to them.
In the days after going live
Update the page
When the same question comes up twice, add the answer to your FAQs. Update screenshots or wording as you learn what people need.
Pick more places to launch
Add your product to other launch directories that fit it. Write each listing properly instead of pasting the same text.
Add the badge to your site
Put the badge on your homepage or footer. It is a simple way to send visitors to your listing.
Post again with something new
Mid-week, write a short LinkedIn follow-up: what surprised you, what you are fixing next, and the link.
When the week is over
Look at your analytics
Your analytics tell you what worked. Tag each shared link so you can see which post, community or directory people came from.
Do it again
Plan the next launch around a real change: a new version, a big feature or a milestone you can explain.
Keep it accurate
An old page loses trust. Update the description, pricing and images whenever your product changes.
More directories for your launch
Best Launch Directories gathers launch directories, startup directories and AI tool lists in one place, with Domain Rating, pricing and link type for each.
Extras that can help
Everything above is free to do. If you want more, these are the extras Maker Launches offers, with today's prices.
- Featured launch $19
Show your listing in the homepage Featured spot for 7 days from your launch week. It is labelled Featured and adds no vote.
- Multi-site bundle $99
Write it once and we do the rest: live on the other 49 launch and discovery sites, reworded site by site, with every later edit flowing to all of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
Done for you on 49 other launch and discovery sites. Each listing gets a description written for that site, and one email gives you all the links.
- Top page space $49
The one Sponsored slot on the homepage, yours for 7 days: name, logo, tagline and a link to your website.
- Category space $19
7 days as the Sponsored company at the top of your category page.
- Newsletter space $29
The Sponsored place in one issue of the newsletter Maker Launches sends out every week.
- Billboard from $5
The Billboard is ordered by money contributed and nothing else, with the biggest total at the top. It is kept apart from votes.
- Product review $19
A structured review drawn from your listing and website pages, labelled on your listing as commissioned by the maker. It never counts as a vote or a rating.
- Editorial founder feature $29
An article about the founder from the facts you gave, edited by one of our editors. Nothing in it is made up.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- When should I tell people about my launch?
- Start on launch day itself. A second post during the week, built around something new, gives the launch a second chance.
- How do I follow up after launching?
- Measure where sign-ups came from, keep the page current, and plan a relaunch around your next big update.
- Do other launch directories help?
- Pick a few launch directories that fit your product rather than all of them. Compare price, link type and what kind of products each one lists before you submit.
- Is asking for votes allowed?
- Tell people about it, yes. But one person has one vote, votes cannot be bought, and asking for votes from extra accounts is not allowed.
Keep this page handy for launch day. The Maker Launches help centre has the details on each step. Open the help centre